Fiscal cliff: John Yarmuth credits ‘courageous’ John Boehner

Rep. John Yarmuth praised House Speaker John Boehner on Tuesday for being willing to send the Senate-approved fiscal cliff deal to the floor while the GOP rank and file could withhold support unless the plan is amended.

“He’s in a very, very difficult spot, and to a certain extent, given the dynamics of the three-way negotiations or four-way, maybe, both the Republicans and the Democrats became somewhat irrelevant in this process, ” the Kentucky Democrat said on MSNBC. “And it’s really risky what he has done to basically to agree to bring this thing to the floor when so many of his conference don’t like it. So I actually give him credit because I think he’s taken a pretty courageous stand, even if he wasn’t a very powerful player in negotiating it.”

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The congressman also said he expects House Democrats to push through the fiscal cliff deal later today, despite a number of defections from Republicans, after it won overwhelming Senate approval early Tuesday morning — 89-8.

“I think it (House passage) will probably be mid-afternoon,” he said. “I think there will be a substantial — virtually all Democrats will support it, I think, in the House. I’m sure there will be 50 to 75 Republicans who won’t vote for it.”

Readers' Comments (24)

Right back where we started; makes sense house makes law not the senate or executive branch. I imagine Boehner is in a tough spot, he's up for majority leader reelection in a few days; first knife in his back will be Cantors. Boehner booted tea partiers off key committees he tried from tea partiers view the automatic spending cuts in place is 1/2 their agenda works for them

Sure it may pass if enough quack-quack dumb ducks like John Yarmouth, who haven't even read the bill, much less deliberated and debated it, vote for it because a handful of oligarchs running our society (that used to be a democracy) told him to.

Voters: Please note who votes against this deal today, and make absolutely sure that, barring any really good excuses from them (death in the family, etc.), they are overwhelmingly voted out of office November 2014. The vote last night was a relatively "easy" vote because there were no difficult "cuts" in programs that either benefit the economy or are in some way crucial to the economy or defense. We can just imagine what the naysayers of today are going to say when they have to make the difficult votes in two months. They will go nuts. Politics means getting along with others for the betterment of society though of course it should be a constructive, ethical getting along. Those radicals who believe that anything that the government does is either unnecessary or unethical should not be in national office. They should join Wayne LaPierre or some other fringe lobbying group where they can crazy-talk and it won't affect anything or anyone.

Seeing Grover go behind enemy lines on CNN last night and state that any Republicans voting for the tax compromise would not be violating the pledge -Priceless . Best New years entertainment you could imagine.

If Boehner can retain the gavel, this is the way he will have to govern now. The nuts on the far right are just going to have to be marginalized by using a full floor vote for everything. And take away all their committee appointments.

Of all the words used to describe Speaker Boehner "courageous" just doesn't come to mind. He was humiliated in his largely illusory "Plan B" because he can neither count nor produce votes. So instead of doing his job he punts at the last minute to McConnell who finally was forced to recognize a bill he should not filibuster--McConnell was last seen filibustering himself.

The Speaker for the laziest, least productive, most obstructionist House in history is courageous for bringing a bill to the floor for a vote? For at long last doing his job? He still hasn't committed to bringing it up for a vote absent Tea Party (or GOP majority) support, even if it would pass. Boehner is focused on his Speakership. McConnell is focused on his 2014 Primary challenge. Neither appears to give 2 cents for the electorate or for the middle class.

BOEHNER WRONG FIT FOR SPEAKER JOB!!! hE CAN SPEAK, NEGOTIATE OR LEAD. HE IS LED!

HARPLESS SPEAKER, Boehner is the wrong fit for the job. His only goal, and his only reason for crying, is the American Dream--and possibly, he may like to delay vote until he is voted in as Speaker again. That is much more important to him than the COUNTRY. nO "cOUNTRY fIRST" WITH THIS MAN! He wants to remain Speaker so badly; yet, he is very bad at being Speaker--and is unable to lead, as McConnell does with his caucaus.

Major courage there. CBO score says it raises the national debt by 4 trillion dollars, cuts little spending. Funny isn't it? You are going to have to cut your spending when you get taxed more, but Obama, dems,and now apparently Republicans will not pass a bill that contains spending cuts on government. They wanted more of your money, they got it. This is what we get for re-electing these people. Has there ever been anyone more courageous than Speaker Boehner? Ever?

Its time for the GOP Congressional leadership to go. They have failed to win the battle on how best to manage the people's money. They have been continuously out manuvered by an opponent not interested in being fiscally responsible.

Time and again the GOP leadership "compromises" with the result not beneficial to the American people, only putting off for a short the need to address the same problem.

If this is the best the current leadership can do....its time for them to depart.

Reading this CBO score sheet, there is actually a $333-Billion increase in spending which appears to not include inflation costs.

Deficit is reported as $3.7-Trillion. However, this is a fabrication; deficit spending will be significantly more through Congressional approval of pork-barrel spending projects over the next ten years.

Premise of this CBO report is, "not raising taxes results in this". Our federal CBO is engaging in deliberate deceit. This is not a "loss" of revenue as reported by the CBO, this is revenue not collected because of the Bush tax cuts.

The CBO is actually presenting an argument in support of allowing the Bush tax cuts to expire. Fingerprints of Obama are all over this CBO report.

Reality is federal spending is set to significantly increase and our national debt is set to far exceed $20-Trillion in ten years. This is clearly not sustainable, our economy will crash and burn within a few years. Even raising taxes by 10% on all American families, from poor to rich, will not support this level of deficit spending.

This H.R. 8 bill is an economically fatal placebo, nothing more than a political ruse by both Democrats and Republicans.